Childhood
by SharilinAlenko
Summary: A mysterious fascinating man suddenly appears in front of Shepard and Kaidan at the Citadel. Soon Kaidan discovers that there're something that he doesn't know about his lover's past… Tales of a young Shepard from Mindoir [feat. MShep!]


**My Talimancer Sheploo was my first Shepard, and I will always love him! I've played thousand times ME2 with him, and I adored the romance with Tali.**  
**Now ME3 brought me to prefer again my baby Sharilin with is beloved Kaidan, as I did in ME1, but still I feel for my Sheploo… So I started to wonder about the two of them being friend since they were children, and that's the result (but finally this MShep is a little different from my own Sheploo eheheh!).**

* * *

Citadel. Presidium Commons. Time 1418.

There he is… Kaidan is waiting for Shepard to finish an N7 meeting with Lieutenant Vega. They have a date there, and she's late. When she finally arrives, he can't hide his disappointment seeing the big muscular soldier walking at her side along with Lieutenant Cortez.

«Hi, Kaidan! Sorry, we are late… but we've met Steve on our way here, so we've asked him to join us, is that a problem?», she blinks at him.

«Of course not…», he leans on her to kiss her cheek. «Just as well you couldn't shake off James… but you know you'll pay for that, don't you?», he mutters naughtily in her ear, making her shiver of anticipation.

«Come on, we're in a public place, control your urges!», Vega teases them.

Kaidan surrounds Shepard with his arms, hugging her tight to his body, and staring at him with a challenging look. «What's your problem Lieutenant? Are you jealous? Sorry, but she's all mine – only mine!».

«What… Oh Cabròn!», James curses embarrassed, causing a burst of laughs from Cortez and Shepard, still held by her lover.

«Well, well, well… Finally I'm able to understand why you decided to enlist with the military!» , an unfamiliar voice interrupts them. «I didn't know that you would be encircled by such handsome sexy soldiers…».

They all turn their attention on a young fascinating man that is walking toward them: he is tall, slender, good-looking, whit intriguing grey eyes and shaved dark hair.

«You've always been very cunning, Laily!».

"Laily?!", Kaidan thinks disappointed.

Shepard releases herself from his cuddle, her face enlightened by surprise and happiness. «Oh… My… God! JOHNNY!», she raises her arms and runs towards the stranger, embracing him thrilled.

"What?!", the Major's completely amazed.

«Goddamn, Johnny! What are you doing here!?», she asks him excited after a while.

«I am here for work… What about you, Laily?!».

"WHAT THE HELL!?", he continues, his chest starts to burn in terrible jealousy.

«Yeah, me too of course!».

The man raises one of his eyebrows. «Mh mh… The mighty Commander Shepard, first Human Spectre, savior of the Citadel, right?», he ribs her.

«Ooooh, shut up, you fool!», Shepard slaps jokingly his arm.

Kaidan can't stand anymore seeing her act like this with that stranger. "Damnit! Who the hell is this guy? Why is he so intimate with her?". He couldn't help but let his mind wander with possessiveness, bringing up anger with it.

Steve and James are looking at them with dropped jaws too: the way the two of them seem to be so familiar astonished them. «Hey Alenko, who's the dude with Lola?», Vega whispers.

«I don't know!», Kaidan rumbles gritting his teeth.

«Uhuhuhuh, who's the jealous one now, Major?», he sneers at him mischievously.

Cortez elbows him. «Stop with this, James!»

The mysterious Johnny shifts his attention to the three soldiers: «So Laily, why don't you introduce me to your colleagues? The salt and pepper haired one is staring at us menacingly…».

The Commander follows his indication. «Oh shit! Kaidan!», her expression is clearly guilty. «Sorry guys, I was overwhelmed by surprise… There's Major Kaidan Alenko, Lieutenant James Vega and Lieutenant Steven Cortez…»

«John Sheploo, nice to meet you!», the man holds out his hand to Kaidan, who grips it hesitantly. There's a knowing expression in his eyes when they're shaking their hands, that leaves the Major wordless…

Suddenly John's omni-tool flicks to life. «Damn… This must be my manager. I've to go…»

«Oh, ok…», Shepard says sadly.

«But this evening I'll be free… And you, COMMANDER?», he chuckles at the last word.

«We're going to leave the Citadel tomorrow morning…», her face lights up again. «Why don't you come to the Normandy?!».

«How could I say no to the heroine of the galaxy?».

«Good, See you at the Docking Bay D24 at 2000! Jeez… So you're finally going to visit my ship! I would have never imagined that this day would come! I am so happy!», she embraces him again.

«Me too Laily. See you later! Bye all!», John calls as he turns and runs away.

She follows him with her sight, before turning to look at Kaidan – his eyes are staring at her full of rage, his brows tense and his hands closed in fists. «Kaidan…».

«I think you owe me an explanation, COMMANDER! »

«Kaidan, it's not what you think…»

«Who the hell is he?!», Kaidan growls.

«James, I think we should go…», Cortez urges Vega, wanting to leave the two alone.

«No, Lieutenant. The Commander invited us out for lunch, so we are going to have lunch», Kaidan states decidedly, walking toward the restaurant with anger shown in his hasty movements. She follows him with an exasperated sigh.

When they're all seated waiting for their food, tension permeates the mood. Shepard toys nervously with a crumb fled from her bun, giving worried glimpses to Kaidan, whose sight is wandering absent over the terrace.

Finally, she breaks the silence between them. «Me and John… We were neighbors on Mindoir…».

«What… I thought you were the only survivor of the attack at your colony, Lola!», James exclaims surprised.

«No, there were TWO survivors…», Shepard answers still glancing at her lover, though he is imperturbable. «We have known each other since we were kids… We grew up together. Then, after what happened to our families, we stayed in the same orphanage since I enlisted with the Alliance».

«And he didn't follow you…», Cortez anticipates her words.

«Right… But we kept in touch all the time, even if we didn't have a lot of occasions to meet face-to-face.»

«He seems to be a nice guy!», Steve continues.

«Yes, he is!», she smiles.

Listening to Shepard makes Kaidan's jealousy flare again, so he stands up from the table. «Thanks for the company, but I have to go now.» And he leaves without looking at her.

She opens her mouth to say something but no words come from it. «Come on Commander, follow him!» Cortez pushes her.

She starts to run to reach him. «Kaidan, wait!» her hand brushes his arm. «Please, my love…»

He halts for a moment, just to take her hand and to drag her toward a more quiet and private place.

«Kaidan…»

«Stop!», he exclaims. «Why didn't you ever tell me about him, Shepard? He's such a big part of your life… of your past… and I didn't even know about his EXISTENCE! You've been in contact with him this whole damn time… do you not trust me?»

«No, that's not it… I'm sorry, Kaidan, I just didn't want to hurt you. It's… complicated…»

«That's BULLSHIT!», he replied angrily. «You wouldn't have lied if you didn't want to hurt me. I told you everything! About Brain Camp… even about Ranha. And you lied to me!»

«No! I never lied to you! I just… omitted one thing!»

«Well, it was a pretty big thing to omit!», he accuses roughly.

Shepard begins to get angry too. «What do you want me to say? That I was an awful ungrateful daughter? That I lived all my fucking life feeling guilty because I survived while all my family and almost all my friends were slaughtered? That the last words I've said to my parents were full of hate?». Her voice is cut off by her sobs.

Kaidan's is totally caught by surprise by the terrible truth coming out from her mouth, his heartaches looking at the tears all over her cheeks. He hugs her tight, caressing her hair, her face buried in his chest while she continues to cry desperate.

«Baby, calm down please… I'm sorry… I didn't know…»

«This is not… your fault… I didn't… ever… tell you… what happened… that night…», she stammers.

«Shhh… Relax now, please… Let's go back to the Normandy.»

* * *

Shepard is at the Captain's Deck, a cup of tea in one hand and the other held by Kaidan. She's still shaken by the tension, her breath comes out irregular from her lugs while she's trying to find the right words.

«I was a rebellious teenager, the only things that mattered to me were my hobbies and my band of friends, first of all John, of course…», the memories start to flow from her. «I started to close myself to my parents and to my poor little sister, always hanging outside with my fellows. I don't know why… It was just… puberty, I think… I was the kind of girl who loved the bad boys, you know…».

«Bad boys, uh?», he blinks at her.

«Yeah…», she smiles shyly. «Sometimes I used to get very… nasty, I guess. If the two of us had meet back then, I probably would've ignored you, my sweet little boy scout.… And you definitely would have run away from me!»

«Oh, really? I don't know… I've always had a thing for lost girls who needed to be rescued!», he says, giving her the smirk he knows she loves so much. «And I would made you change your mind about the boy scouts!»

She giggles «Mh mh… Yeah, maybe you're right… Well… In fact you did it!», she squeezes his hand softly.

Her eyes turn to be sad again. «The last day I've seen my family alive I've quarreled with them because my mother didn't want me to go to a party outside the colony. I was so angry with her, I said her things that still hunt me… So I managed to flee from my room on the sly to meet John, but we were late, and when we reached the place of the party, it was desert. We decided to hang around there. I was so upset, I didn't want to come back home, but when we finally returned… it had already happened… It was… God…»

She swallows hard to avoid her tears to come down again. «I don't want to remember all the details… Only John and I, the survivors of the massacre… We were lead to an Alliance orphanage, we stayed there for two dreadful years, and all that time I was consumed by my guilt, because I had mistreated my parents, my sister, and I hadn't ever done nothing useful in my life. So I decided to enlist with the military to do something good and to expiate my sins…»

«And John?»

«Well, he was stronger than me and he reacted in a different way to his own mourning. His mission was to protect me, but when I grew up and chose my own path, he followed his own. Anyway, both of us knew that we could count on each other forever, no matter where we were.»

«That's really beautiful».

«Yes it is…», she sighs. «I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything about him. I swear, I was going to do it a thousand times, but I never succeeded because I felt too embarrassed about my past… I didn't want to hide him from you, but… On the contrary, John knows everything about you, and he has always hated that you didn't know about him. I am sure he will get back at me this evening, you'll see…», and at these last words her face turns to be upset.

«What's up?», Kaidan asks her.

«Well… No, nothing…».

He takes her chin with his right hand, locking his grave eyes in hers. «Is there anything else I should know… Between the two of you…?».

«Me and John? No, no, no! I swear, we were always like brother and sister, nothing else! Please believe me!».

Kaidan sighs in relief. «I do, baby…».

She smiles, glad that he believes her. «Wow… Are you so jealous, Kaidan?».

«I'll admit… Yes I am… I almost died this afternoon from the shock!».

She holds his face in her hands. «Let me be clear: when it comes to John… between you and I… _**I**_ am the one who has to be jealous!».

«What do you mean?».

Shepard appears to be bothered again. «I am afraid you'll understand soon, my love…».

* * *

Kaidan sits on the couch in the Port Observation: he left Shepard as she was giving to her friend a tour of the Normandy, and now he waits for her with James, Steve, Garrus and Tali.

«So, is it alright now, Major?», Cortez asks gently to him.

«Yes, thank you!», he smiles back.

After a while the door opens and the two enter in the room. «Definitely, Cerberus knows how to spend money! This ship is fantastic!», John says enthusiastically. «Oh, hello everybody!»

«Hi, John, it's about time! How are you?»

«Garrus! I'm good, and you, dude?»

"What… Does Garrus already know him?", Kaidan glances at Shepard with a questioning look. She rushes to sit at his side, taking his hand lovingly. «We met him by chance on Ilium during our mission to recruit Thane…», she whispers to him.

«Shit, you have even a bar and a poker table?!», John interrupts them.

«Yeah… but I don't suggest you play with Vega, he's a cheater!», she giggles.

«What! Lola, don't lie! You can't even play, and that's the truth!»

John chuckles. «Oh I know. Laily has a terrible poker face, doesn't she?»

«Laily?», Kaidan asks while the man approaches a bar stool.

«Yeah. He couldn't say my name correctly when we first met, we were only 4 years old… So Sharilin became Laily, and it's been like that since then!»

«Johnny and Laily, the dynamic duo!», John yells making the victory gesture and they all burst into laughter at his funny motion.

James takes advantage of the merry mood of the moment. «So, John, please tell us the most embarrassing stories about our Commander's childhood years!»

«Here we go...», she sighs.

«Weeeeeeeeeeeell… What can I say?», he twirls on his seat swinging his head with a mischievous grin on his face. «She was always a bit of a crybaby!»

«Whaaaaaaaaat?! Oooooooh fuck off, John!», Shepard shakes a fist towards him.

He squints his eyes, amused. «Ahahahah just joking!», he amends, though Shepard keeps glancing at him bothered. «No, seriously… She has always been a wonderful person: very nice, sensible, strong willed, and always ready to help everyone… a very badass girl!»

Kaidan catches a hint of surprise on her face at her friend's words. «Exactly like she is now!»

«Yeah… But of course she had a lot of crazy times,!» he sniggers.

«Well… WE had them together!», she insists.

«Laily, you can't deny you were the master chief, can you?»

«I deny everything!», she crosses his arms pulling a long face.

«So all the times you dragged me outside school to play hooky, you forced me to cover up for you and your dates with those creepy guys you liked, you used to climb to my window to make me go nimbly to music shows… or were they just my imagination?».

Shepard blushes. «Errr…».

Vega laughs out loud. «Oh yeah, Lola, were you such a bad girl? Sexy!»

«Wait a minute… YOU were the one climbing at my window for the concerts, Johnny!», she defends herself.

«Oops… you're right! But whose fault was it that I liked those bands to begin with?».

Suddenly Cortez leaps up. « Oh yeah! I thought you looked familiar. You're THAT Sheploo, the musician, aren't you?», he asks excitedly.

John grins. «That's me!»

«Wow!», Steve exclaims. «This is awesome. I'm a huge fan! Could I… could I get an autograph later?»

«Of course!», he responds with a smirk.

«A musician?», Kaidan asks, shocked.

«Yeah… As I was telling you before, I started to study music after I've listened to Laily's singing…».

All Shepard's friends turn to focus their attention on her, more and more amazed.

«Come on, didn't you know that your Commander sings like an angel? That, before she decided to become a soldier, her dream was to be a rock star?».

«I've listened to her sometimes, but I didn't know anything else…», James states.

«Yeah, we created a rock band and we were kind of famous! We had a lot of fans back on Mindoir. When we grew up, I decided to carry on our projects alone, but without her nothing was the same.».

A shade of sadness darkens both their faces. «I'm sorry, John», she says sadly.

«Oh no, I am not here to remember sad things! Instead, is there anyone who wants to see a old vid of one of our performances?»

«Oh shit! Are you kidding me? Do you still have the records?»

«Of course I do, and a lot of pictures!».

«What are you waiting for? Show us!», Tali claims thrilled.

«No no wait!», Shepard tries to oppose but without success, because her friend immediately starts a hologram from his omni-tool. Kaidan looks at it curiously, noticing a very young John playing a holo-keyboard, his sloppy short hair rippling with his movements. Then his heart his races in his chest: there she is! His love as a teenager, with the same adorable face a little more immature but already breathtaking, her gorgeous sky-blue eyes so concentrated while she starts to sing a swinging rock song.

«Black hair?», he asks her surprised.

«Not exactly… Dark purple!», she grimaces, a little embarrassed.

«Wow, I love your gothic style, Commander!», Steve comments.

Kaidan has to agree with him: the straightened dyed hair, the fancy dress made of black lace, the gloves and the fishnet stockings, the dark make-up and the violet nail polish… all suit her young figure perfectly.

He leans on her to whisper in her ear. «You were wrong… I could definitely fall for you even when you were sixteen…»

Her cheeks turn red, and he feels her shiver as his lips brush her earlobe. «It's just… the dress…», she stammers.

«Well, actually I've never seen you with a dress or a skirt… But definitely not, it's not just that…»

The video finishes, and all the audience claps, entranced. «Wow, Shepard! You're an amazing singer! Do you ever regret you abandoned your dream?», Tali asks.

«Well… I've never really thought about it, I guess.», she brushes her upper lip with the tip of her tongue musing for a while. «No… Definitely not. I like my life, I've seen awesome places, done incredible things…»

«Come on, 'incredible' is restrictive! You're the fucking savior of the galaxy, Lola!»

«But I would never be able to do what I've done without the help of all the extraordinary people I've met thanks to my job!», she smiles looking at all her friends, and then she glares intensely at Kaidan. «Just… I would avoid that annoying event of my death in the open space, you know?»

«Yeah… You're not the only one…», the Major sighs.

«Please, Commander, sing something for us now with John!», Cortez asks very excited.

«What? No no! I can't!»

«Why not, Laily? Come on! We can try out one of the last songs you sent me!»

«No, John…»

«Are you still composing, Lola? Hope your last lyrics are less tragic than those you used to sing on Earth…»

«Of course she is composing! About three years ago she started to be interested in music again. Most of my best tracks are hers!»

"Three years…?", Kaidan's stomach flails.

«Really? All those love songs are yours Commander? You're amazing!», Cortez says.

"She began to compose love songs three years ago…? Since the Normandy SR-1…?", the Major can barely keep his emotion.

Shepard blushes again. «Stop it, John. Please. I'm not a singer, not anymore!», she grabs Kaidan's arm and hides her face between his shoulder and the couch back.

Garrus stands up. «Ok guys, I think that's enough for this evening. Let's leave some privacy to them, they haven't seen each other in a long time», and he approaches the door. «See you John, stay safe!». They depart, leaving Shepard alone with her lover and her friend.

John crosses his arms on his chest. «Mh mh mh! Guess all you do now is serenade him, huh?», he teases, before focusing his serious grey eyes on Kaidan. «So, MAJOR ALENKO… Finally I get to meet you! Laily told me so much about you!»

«I would like to be able to say the same of you, but…».

«I know… She didn't want the two of us to meet… And now I can understand why!», he raises one eyebrow grinning naughtily. «The cameras don't do justice to you, Major!».

«Beg your pardon?», Kaidan asks surprised.

«Yeah, I've seen Aller's video of course… I've noticed you're very handsome! But you look even better in the flesh!».

«Err… I…»

Suddenly Shepard, who had stayed nestled at his side all the time, turns to sit straight, giving her friend a burning glare. «Johnny… Don't you dare!»

«What Laily? I'm just saying the truth… He's very sexy!»

«I KNOW that!»

The two stood still for a while, their eyes locked on each other, John sneering maliciously and Shepard still grabbing Kaidan's arm, angry. The Major shifts uneasily in the awkward silence between the two friends.

«Can anyone tell me what's happening, please?»

John gets up from the stool and approaches them. He sits at their side, his elbows on his knees and his fingers joined, partially covering the evil expression on his face leaned toward them. «I think your Commander is jealous, Alenko!»

«John... », she warns, her voice menacing as she tightened her grip on her lover's arm.

Kaidan is completely astonished, unsure at what is happening. «I don't…», he begins, then all at once Shepard's words come back to him.

_«Let me be clear: when it comes to John… between you and I… _**I**_ am the one who has to be jealous!»_

At the time, he hadn't understood the meaning of her words, but now, seeing her protective reaction and the appraising glimpses John is giving him, it suddenly became clear.

«Laily, why are you acting like this? Are you afraid that your lover will be more interested in me than in you?»

«No! Never! I don't doubt our relationship for one second. But…», she is totally flushed. «Goddamn it, Johnny! You always got whatever you wanted! I was so grateful that we didn't have the same taste in men… Why now?!»

«Well, because this is the first time you show common sense in your choice!», he laughs.

«Wait wait… Are you talking about me? Really, Sharilin? Are you afraid that he could… steal me from you?»

«No, not really… I… I don't know how to explain it…», she looks at him, confused and upset. «It's complicated!»

«Oh, indeed?», he asks, upset.

«Mh mh, are you interested, Major?», John blinks.

"Ok, this is a joke… This MUST be a joke!". The situation is so absurd Kaidan is at a loss as to what he should do. An uncontrollable desire to run away from the two feuding friends is invading his mind, but Shepard's hold on his arm is too firm. «Wait… You are my soul mate, Sharilin. You can't be concerned about a thing like this. Not after all we've been through together! What the hell?». Shepard still looks upset, though.

«Commander, there's a problem, they need you at the Engineer Dock immediately», EDI's voice interrupts them.

«Oh oh, looks like you've got to go, Laily!»

«Oh shit!», she curses. «Johnny…», her voice is a warning.

«Don't be afraid, my friend. I'll be in good company here during your absence. Alright, go go!».

She glances at Kaidan, exasperated. «I'll be back soon», she says, and she leaves the room.

Immediately John's stare turns grave. «So Alenko, what are your proposes toward my friend? You know she's like a sister to me, right?»

«What…?»

«Come on, before I was joking. Yeah, you're very attractive, but I would never hurt Laily by trying to seduce the love of her life!»

«But why…»

«Why did I frighten her? Because it's funny!», he chuckles. «No seriously… I'm very glad to see her so in love. She was never interested in having a serious relationship, and I was very afraid that she would never be happy with someone she loves. I was so relieved when she told me about you three years ago!».

He pauses for a while, his sight wandering over the room. «After our lives were destroyed by what happened to our colony, she didn't want to sing anymore… I've tried so hard to convince her, but nothing worked. She felt so guilty for her family that she wanted to punish herself by abandoning her dream and she decided also to enlist with the Alliance because it was her mother's dream for herself. So, when she began to send me love songs that she composed after she met you, I was so hopeful that she had finally found the happiness she deserved…»

"God… She really wrote for me since the beginning…", Kaidan realizes.

«But it broke my heart to hear how you rejected her when she found you after she came back from the dead. I met her on Ilium and she was completely shattered. I'd never seen her like that, not even after her parents death. You were so lucky I wasn't able to find you, because I don't know what I would have done to you…»

«I will never forgive myself for that, I swear John…»

«Yeah, she told me that. I was concerned at first when you came back into her life. I didn't trust you, and I didn't want her to get hurt again. But now…», he smiles «Today I saw unbelievable joy in her eyes when she was at your side, and it was mirrored in yours too. I don't doubt you anymore, and I can see you two are perfect for each other…»

«I love her with all my heart, I'll never leave her again!», Kaidan stares at him gravely.

«Good. Keep in mind that I know you now, and if it ever happens again, I will kill you.»

Kaidan nods to him.

«Since the first moment I met her», John continues «I felt the need to protect her from everything and everyone, especially as she discovered her biotics… But when she joined the alliance I was terrified by the idea of being apart from her. I worry about her all the time.»

«Don't worry, now it's my turn to watch over her!», he reassures him.

The doors open and Shepard comes back in the room. «I'm back! John, you haven't done anything to him, have you?», she asks as she runs to embrace Kaidan.

«Tsk! Such things require more privacy, don't you know? I need to take my time!» John chuckles. He looks at his omni-tool. «Damn, it's very late. I've got to go now!»

He stands up and Shepard reaches him to hug him. «Bye Johnny, I'll miss you», she says gloomily.

«Stay safe, Laily!», he brushes her hair tenderly.

Kaidan holds out his hand. «It was a pleasure to meet you…»

«You too, Major. But I've given you all my addresses… When you'll get tired of Laily, contact me! We'll bang, ok?»

Shepard's face is totally twisted by the shock «What… what… JOHNNY!», she grumbles shaking her fists against him. Kaidan bursts into laughter while he surrounds her with his arms, avoiding her to attack his friend. John starts to run away from her, but before he leaves the room, he blinks at him with an knowing look, ratifying a tacit friendly agreement between the two most important men of Shepard's life.


End file.
